George Shelley hits back at ‘jealous’ Union J after band ‘kick him out’

George Shelley has left Union J, with his former band mates claiming they kicked him out over a lack of commitment following his stint on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.

Josh Cuthbert, Jaymi Hensley and JJ Hamblett told The Sun that they gave Shelley an ultimatum.

“I wrote a really strong email,” Cuthbert said. “We basically gave him an ultimatum. It was, ‘You’re either in the band or you’re not’.

“George was in a position where he did the jungle, he came off it and his head space was different to ours.

“Using a sporting analogy, he wanted to turn up to the big matches but not turn up to training.”

Hensley described losing Shelley as “heart-breaking” and said he is “absolutely devastated”.

But a spokesperson for Shelley rubbished claims of an ultimatum and slammed the band for being “jealous”.

In a statement the spokesperson said: “It was a mutual decision for George to leave Union J so he could focus on his broadcasting and acting career.

“He is an utterly charming and hardworking individual - not a diva in the slightest.

“The fact of the matter is that the other members of Union J are simply jealous he has achieved the start of an exciting new career and they have not.

“George had agreed to be totally magnanimous towards them, but unfortunately this has not been reciprocated.”

Shelley joined the band – formerly known as Triple J – on The X Factor in 2012 after failing to reach the finals as a soloist.

The band is now planning to replace Shelley within the next few weeks.